Medicare documents say she was born March 5, 1901, but relatives say an old family Bible states she was born that same day but three years earlier.

And since she was born at home there's no legal record of her birth.

At 111, Caldwell would be just three years younger than Gertrude Baines of Los Angeles, Calif., who took over the title as the oldest living person in the world in January.

In any event, Caldwell appreciates each passing birthday.

"It's special," she said.

Regardless of the exact age, family and friends will celebrate Caldwell's birthday Friday with cake at her home at Willowbrook Manor nursing home on Beecher Road.

For someone over the century mark, Caldwell is in remarkable health.

She uses oxygen to help her breathe but only takes a few medications, compared to her neighbors who are younger and take many more, said Christine Sanford, Caldwell's social worker at Willowbrook.

But her poor hearing and vision have prevented her from being the social butterfly she once was.

"She knew everybody in the area of Mississippi where they grew up," said Dorothy Donnell of Sterling Heights, Caldwell's great-niece.
"She had a story to tell about everybody, people we hadn't even heard of," Donnell said.

Nowadays, Caldwell spends her time participating in center activities, such as music night and Bingo. She attends church services at the center and listens to the news and All My Children, which is her favorite show.

There's something about gospel music that gets her going.

"She gets to rocking and clapping her hands when she hears it," Sanford said of Caldwell.

Caldwell grew up in Mississippi, with six brothers and one sister, working in the fields picking cotton and raising farm animals.

Of the seven children, Caldwell is the oldest, and the only one still living.

Caldwell married and moved to Gary, Ind., where she and her husband Hurbert had one daughter. Both her husband and daughter are now deceased.

At last count, Caldwell had seven living grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, 44 great-great-granchildren and seven great-great-great-grandchildren.

"I don't know how many there is now," Caldwell said. "Too many to count.
"They go way, way up there."

After years of living alone and taking care of herself, Caldwell says she misses her independence. She's been using a wheel chair since 2005, when she fell and broke her hip, an injury she still hasn't fully recovered from.

"I wish I could do what I used to," Caldwell said. "I miss walking, cooking and cleaning."

Donnell said she believes her aunt attended school up to second grade and never learned to read or write.

"They didn't send us to school too much," Caldwell said. "Father had us working in the fields."

Through her father and other relatives, Donnell learned how her family survived, growing up black in the south during the 20th century. Instead, of focusing on their struggles, they set out to have a good time, she said.

"They were a huge family, and they spent a lot of time together," Donnell said. "They would go to town, where the other blacks would be on the weekend, and they'd dance and just have fun."

Caldwell's hip injury forced her to turn in her dancing shoes.

She said she has one dance left in her, but she's saving it.

"I don't know when the Lord will be ready for me, but when he gets ready, I've got to move." Caldwell said. "I'm going to dance for him too."